1. When a container of pins spills for the 2nd time, retrieve a magnet from the fridge to aid in getting them picked up. Now that I've posted this hint--you can use it for the first spill.

2. When free motion quilting one part of a quilt, and then making the decision to stitch in the ditch for another part, DO change back to the regular foot. DO NOT attempt to fmq in the ditch. Sigh....that quilt will be for keeping, the other one will go up for sale.



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AFTER container spills for the second time, MOVE it out of the way!! LOLOL

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Good advice :D :-D Have you all seen the wands with a magnet and a light on the end for finding pins? I use mine every day.

Great tips.

Oh, I had! I did! I still managed to tip it. Now I move it FARTHER! :|

No! Where do you get them? My dining room floor where I quilt at is very light in color and my pins have a white top and it is so hard to see them!

Spilled pins? I use magnetic pin catchers, so if and when they hit the floor, they don't really spill all over the place. A few may scatter.

I have an old wooden yard stick with a magnet taped to one end. My aging fingers have trouble holding pins, so when they fall between my knees and onto the carpet at my feet. I grab the yard stick and let is pick up the stray pins so the aging knees do not need to get down to floor level. Make life easy for the whole "aging" body!

Tip on aging gracefully - sit still and let everyone else do the work! Magnets were made for this, right???

Now, can someone tell me how to keep the pins on the cutting table from getting under the fabric so I don't run over them with a brand new rotary cutter blade? Maybe I need to take a class in "clutter control"

Great tip.

I got mine at my LQS. Tried a search but couldn't find it online. I don't know a brand name either.

Hmmm... I will have to keep my eye out for that.

I use my magnetic pin holder to pick up pins on the floor.

Actually, my cat Hamish was a professional pin locator...IF I dropped them on hardwood flooring, he would hunt down every last pin...

:D :D

Karla, you are just having a day, aren't you? Maybe the universe is not aligned for quilting today. Take a rest, relax - quilts are patient. They wait.

I let the vacuum find most of my dropped pins before I switched over to the flower head pins with the bright colored flowers. They are sure easy to find.

Flower head pins have been a God send LOL
I painted my other pin heads brighter colors to be able to see them :roll: :lol::lol:

Karla---you ARE having a bad day!! This is the reason I use a pin cushion and not a pin catcher....

You can get a pin retriever here..... http://www.clotilde.com/detail.html?...181&cat_id=102

I've heard that you can get those at an automotive shop too.

The end of my Fiskars scissors has a magnet in just the end...found that one out when I dropped a pin under the machine (had the body section off so I could sew hems) & the scissors grabbed the pin. Now I just get my scissors if I drop a pin there (hard to reach under there with fingers).

Yes, AutoZone carried them; had to buy my husband his own because he kept 'borrowing' mine...
at work, we got a drill bit sleeve that is magnetic, it grabs our screws...makes us unbelievably happy.... always say that we are cheap date

I just call hubby into my room. For some reason he will find ALL pins on the floor in his bare feet. I can walk on that floor barefoot all day and not get stuck......

Bet he loves that Terri!! LOL

Oh, those useful husbands of ours, don't we love when they are "finally able to find something on their own?"

You should have seen the floor in the room I taught my grandsons to sew!!! We needed your husband then...

I use a pin cushion.

You might be able to find the telescoping magnet some place that sells tools. My DH has one for working on cars and such. (even tho I stole it for the same reason ....spilled pins :D) Hope that this helps...might even be cheaper than quilting supplies. :D

My son is a mechanic--I'll ask him to get me one for my b-day. :-D

Yes, auto parts stores have these...wonderful

They also have a parts cup with very strong magnet that also be used for pins.

Sometimes I get so tired of learning everything the hard way.

I have two pin cushions and am planning on getting another that sits on my wrist. I usually find fallen pins with my feet. The joys of size 12 feet.

You can buy magnetic pin holders at Walmart alot cheaper than Joanns.
I use a walking foot for stitch in the ditch and a free motion darning foot with the feed dogs down for free motion.